Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has penned an emotional tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Pearson has worked under Khun Vichai for five years, four at City and one in Belgium at current club OH Leuven, who are owned by King Power.

Pearson guided City to the Championship title and then to a dramatic Premier League survival before being dismissed by Khun Vichai in 2015.

The pair reconciled and then reunited at Leuven, with Pearson expressing his sympathy on the Belgian club's website following the terrible events of Saturday night, in which five people lost their lives.

Pearson wrote: "It is with extreme difficulty that I write to express and offer my sincere condolences and support to the Srivaddhanaprabha and wider King Power family.

"The tragic and shocking events of Saturday evening have impacted the football world in such a profound way with the news of Khun Vichai’s passing.

More on the King Power helicopter crash

"His quiet yet authoritative aura, presence and personality have had an immeasurable influence on English football.

"The leadership and managerial processes he instilled and encouraged within Leicester City over a sustained period of time has borne fruit in such a way that people throughout the world witnessed the impossible by seeing a club win the Premier League in the most incredible circumstances.

"This most definitely ensured the belief that sporting miracles can happen. I have been privileged to manage both clubs owned by King Power, and at Oud-Heverlee Leuven in Belgium, have the task of building a club which can emulate King Power’s success in England.

"My regret is that he will not see the fruition of his vision. It is an important point to remember that, with both clubs, he chose to invest in clubs with potential, to nurture a club with a soul and culture founded on sound values, rather than achieving a ‘quick fix’.

Nigel Pearson with Aiyawatt and Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on Leicester City's open-top bus during a victory parade in honour of the football club winning the Championship (Image: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

"He has invested not just substantial financial support, but invested in the people and communities of these clubs. We here at Oud-Heverlee Leuven are still at an early stage, but the dual investment has been substantial.

"On a personal level, a manager could not have wished for a better boss. I have, through both good and difficult times, been afforded an unwavering support which has been a huge motivator and, in personally difficult times, a huge comfort.

"His warmth, humour and generosity have always been extended to my own family, something for which we will all be eternally grateful for. I will miss his guidance and wisdom – and certainly his mischievous sense of humour and singular chuckle!

"Our thoughts, of course, must now be with Khun Vichai’s immediate family, as well as the King Power family, and I’m sure the wider football world will offer some solace for his loved ones. I will miss 'The Boss'."